


Spectral Evidence

by WayWardWonderer



Category: Ghostbusters (Movies 1984-1989), The Real Ghostbusters
Genre: Crime, F/M, Gen, Haunting, Hurt, Mystery, ghost - Freeform, injured, secret
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-01-17
Updated: 2018-01-17
Packaged: 2019-03-06 00:49:07
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 12,893
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13399875
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/WayWardWonderer/pseuds/WayWardWonderer
Summary: Dr. Peter Venkman becomes intrigued by a mysterious young woman with a supernatural problem and readily takes up the case. Dr. Ray Stantz is forced to tag along and act a a duo until Dr. Egon Spengler and Winston Zeddemore join them. Until then, what should've been a simple good deed turns into a dangerous case of life and death for the Ghostbusters.





	Spectral Evidence

Dr. Ray Stantz and Dr. Peter Venkman were silently sitting next to one another on the couch in the recreation room of the firehouse in front of the television. An old black and white movie featuring a poorly made and aesthetically unpleasant giant monster was destroying a city and the dialogue by the fellow actors was atrocious at best. Without a call to answer the firehouse was boringly quiet. Without Dr. Egon Spengler tinkering away in his lab or Winston Zeddemore working on Ecto-1 the firehouse was unusually still. All was calm. All was mundane.

Relaxing in their normal clothes as opposed to their iconic jumpsuits: Peter, wearing beige khaki pants and a white t-shirt under a forest green button down shirt, and Ray wearing blue jeans with a gray t-shirt and a red and black flannel shirt, seemed more casual than professional.

Peter sighed as he leaned his head against his hand and leaned his elbow against the armrest of the couch. "This movie sucks."

"Yeah." Ray agreed as he stretched he legs out and propped his feet up on the small table between the couch and the TV set. "But there's nothing else to do."

"When's Spengz coming back?" Peter moaned pathetically.

"Sometime tomorrow morning."

"Why'd he agree to speak with some stuffy professor at some stuffy college? Aren't we good enough?"

"Peter, that 'stuffy professor' is the Dean and the 'stuffy college' is Harvard! It's a great honor for Egon. Not to mention all of the positive publicity for the company that will be generated by recognition from Harvard."

"Yeah, but it's boring for us! Why'd he have to go the same weekend Winston went to Philly? What's so great about Philadelphia anyway? _Besides_ the food."

"Uh... Winston's family?" Ray knew that Peter wasn't actually angry, just irritated by the slow, uneventful night. Peter and boredom don't play well together, which in turn made Ray's own thoughts a little crazy. "Don't you miss your family?"

"No." Peter crossed his arms bitterly across his chest and sunk down in his couch. "I don't need a family."

"Oh... Sorry." Ray flinched at Peter's reaction and blushed a little as a result. "Didn't mean drudge up the past."

Peter had always had a strained and painful relationship with his small, reclusive family. Peter's mom had passed away when Peter was a kid and his father was never around for him. Having no siblings, living grandparents, aunts, uncles or cousins, Peter was basically on his own since he was nine years old.

Ray had a similar situation as a kid. When Ray was fourteen his parents were killed in a car accident, his older brother and older sister had always pushed Ray away because of his interests in the paranormal and had disowned him as a family after their parents' funeral. Fortunately Ray had his Aunt Lois to step in and raise him while his siblings focused on college and left Ray behind.

"Whatever." Slowly Peter sat up straighter on the couch and let his arms drop down from his chest as his defensive reaction lessened. "Wanna order a pizza? That should eat up about thirty minutes of doing nothing."

"I'll call you pay?"

"As long as you don't order anchovies, sausage and pineapple again. Never felt so nauseated in all my life."

"It wasn't that bad!"

"Egon took a slice into his lab and analyzed it because he was uncertain of its edibility."

"But Egon loves to analyze things."

"Never food." Peter pointed out firmly. "And Winston, our _resident marine_ , couldn't stomach it!"

"Where's your sense of adventure?" Ray asked he rose from the couch and went to the phone sitting on the table beside the large computer in the corner of the room.

"With my stomach, hiding from what _you_ consider normal toppings." Peter picked up the remote for the TV and began switching through the channels, trying to find something, anything, of interest.

The channels flashed brief images of news reports, bland commercials, silly cartoons and late night movie marathons. Unable to find anything of interest with his quick switches Peter slowed his pace and cycled back through the channels.

"Boring, boring, seen it, boring, infomercial, boring, boring, hey! Wait a minute..." Peter stop changing channels as an attractive young woman caught his eye. "This looks like something I'd enjoy."

Ray finished placing the order and rejoined Peter on the couch. "About thirty minutes for delivery. What did you find?"

"Her." Peter pointed to the blonde woman on the TV screen. "Finally found something worth watching."

"What about Dana?" Ray remarked in a joking manner.

"No harm in looking. Besides, I have a thing for blondes..."

The woman was in her mid-twenties with long blonde hair pulled up into a neat ponytail with a Tye-dye bandanna resting against her forehead beneath her short bangs. She had emerald green eyes and rose red lips against flawless, pale skin. Tall and slim, she was wearing a white t-shirt with a forest brown long sleeved shirt over it. A pair of dark blue bell-bottom jeans covered her long legs and her shoes were simple black and white converse sneakers. A string of multi-colored love beads hung from her neck with a classic 'peace sign' medallion hanging neck the bottom, resting against her chest. A single white daisy was tucked into her hair above her left ear.

Ray took in her appearance and laughed a little. "Looks like she stepped out of a Hendrix concert. I thought the 70s were over."

"Not for me." Peter all but drooled as he admired the woman's appearance. "I love the 70s!"

"And unobtainable women." Ray quipped as he leaned back into the couch. "So what's her deal? Why is she on TV? Is she selling something?"

"Not a clue. She hasn't said a word and I don't care..."

As if waiting for a cue the woman suddenly began speaking, her voice was soft, feminine and melodic as she spoke. "Hello, my name is Sydney. I'm seeking help from anyone who will listen."

"I'm listening..." Peter leaned forward on the couch and stared at her with a perpetually fixated gaze.

"Oh brother..." Ray scoffed as he watched his friend's reactions. "She can't hear you!"

"Shh!" Peter shushed Ray as he watched Sydney with full attention. "You'll ruin the fantasy!"

Sydney continued her plea for help. "When my father passed away last year I was given an old hotel as inheritance. I had decided to turn the old building into a shelter for the homeless and provide free boarding to college students in need of help."

"Gorgeous," Peter began ticking off compliments toward the young woman. "generous and rich... I might be smitten!"

"When my boyfriend and I," Sydney continued much to Peter's dismay. As his shoulders sagged Ray smiled and put a sympathetic hand to his shoulder. "began work on the building strange things began to happen. The police found so sign of intruders and the fire department didn't find anything dangerous. This has been happening for years and we don't know what to do. Please, if anyone can help us out call this phone number," as the number flashed across the screen Peter's eyes lit up. "we'll reward you for your efforts." Swiftly Peter jumped from the couch and scrambled to the phone to dial.

"Oh no!" Ray scolded as the ad on the TV screen faded into blackness. "You're not doing what I think you're doing, are you?"

"Getting us work? Getting paid? Getting us good publicity for helping a young woman in distress?" Peter pressed the phone to ear and waited for an answer.

" _Couple_ , Peter. We'd be helping a young _couple_. She has a boyfriend."

"Right, boyfriend. Not husband!" Peter gave Ray a cheeky grin. "No guarantees is- Hi! Hello!" He finally heard an answer over the phone and shifted his focus to the voice on the other end of the line. "Yes, my friend and I are interested in helping with your request." Peter covered the speaker of the phone with his mouth and whisper to Ray. "She sounds just as good over the phone as she does on TV!"

Ray just rolled his eyes as he listened in on the bizarre phone call.

"As I was saying we're here to help you, all-" Peter paused as Sydney asked several questions to which Peter was ready to answer. "Yes. Well, our qualifications are rather impressive if I do say so myself. Uh-huh, well, I hold Ph.D's in psychology and parapsychology and my friend holds a degree in engineering... What do we do for a living?" He turned to Ray as he boldly exclaimed into the phone. "We're the Ghostbusters. Uh... yeah. Those guys with the commercials, yes."

Ray did his best to not laugh as Peter's confident tone began to dwindle.

"No, no, no. We don't just eliminate paranormal disturbances, we also investigate and can- You do? Great! If I can have the address-"

At a loss for words Ray just watched as Peter scrambled for the pad of paper and the pen next to the phone and scrawled out the address.

"Oh yeah, we'll be out in an hour, don't worry about thing. Yes, I'm looking forward to meeting you, too. Goodbye." Peter hung up the phone and confidently strode over to the couch and leaned against as he brazenly boasted about his 'smoothing talking' ways. "Hook. Line. And sinker."

"Uh-huh." Ray still wasn't impressed. He stretched back and laid across the couch with one arm under his head and the other over his eyes. "So we have to dig out the old scanners and meters from the storage closet to investigate a possible paranormal call because you saw a pretty face on the TV?"

"Yeah, so what?"

"Remember when you kept giving me and Spengler grief for interviewing everyone in the city who spoke about seeing a ghost or experiencing a psychic phenomena?"

"Yeah, but that was _you_ ," Peter explained coyly as he gestured toward Ray with his hands. "and this is _me_." He finished his statement by pressing both hands against his own chest demonstratively.

"And... What's the difference?"

"Simple. One pretty blonde girl!"

Sighing Ray knew that he had been defeated solely by Peter's stubbornness. "Alright." He lowered his arm from over his eyes and looked up at Peter. "You lead."

"Don't I always?"

"Only when it's convenient. For you."

* * *

 

Tearing apart the storage cabinet tucked away in the secondary basement of the firehouse Ray sorted through the old, dusty scanners that he and Egon had crudely constructed back when they were still working off campus. While the scanners and meters were as accurate as possible their designs left a lot to be desired, not to mention the poor battery life and lack of range.

Using the hem of his red flannel shirt Ray wiped the fine layer of dust from the screen on the oldest model of their PKE meter and held it nostalgically in his hands. "It's been a while."

"Pizza's here!" Peter shouted as he joined Ray in the basement with two large pizza boxes in his arms. As soon as he saw the meter in Ray's hands Peter felt the same sense of nostalgia. "Wow, haven't seen that gizmo in a while. What's the occasion?"

"I told you, we'd have to use the older equipment for a standard investigation. Neither me or Egon has had the time to improve these meters and our new meters won't give us the results we want."

"How so?" Peter asked as he pulled open the lid on the top box of pizza and pulled out a slice of pepperoni and green olives.

"These meters would act as a type of sonar and scan the entire room. We'd get a simplified display of the room's layout on the screen and from there we could pinpoint any secondary causes for the paranormal disturbances and eliminate the building from anything legitimately haunted."

"Does it still work?" Peter asked between bites of his pizza.

"It should. The battery will need to charge but that's fine, I want to clean it up anyway."

"Great." Peter took a second slice and held it under Ray's nose. "Until then have your dinner and we'll head out to meet our client."

Ray took the slice from Peter and bit down. "You don't seriously think she'll dump her boyfriend over you just because you answered her ad, do you?"

"A man can dream, can't he?"

"And Dana?"

"Dana... She can do better than me." Peter's eyes darted away from Ray and stared at the floor morosely.

"Did you two... uh?"

"We're taking a break. An extended break." Peter admitted feeling rather low. "Her idea. I just agreed to it."

"Sorry."

"Not your fault. It's for the best." Peter accepted his current relationship status without batting an eye. Taking out another slice of pizza he held it his mouth as he carried the boxes back out of the basement. "Come on, let's finish this off in a more sanitary area."

"Sure." Ray followed behind, pausing at the workbench momentarily to charge the meter's battery, and left the basement right behind Peter. "We'll take Ecto-1 but since it's a simple investigation we won't need to suit up or take the packs."

"You just made my night Ray!" Peter stated as he put the boxes down on the vacated desk of their receptionist, Janine Meltnitz. "Any time I don't have to heft around one of those nuclear backpacks is a good time."

"And I'm not a fan of all our dry cleaning bills for the jumpsuits." Ray confessed as he took a second slice of pizza. "The battery should be good to go in about twenty minutes and it should last about an hour."

"That seems pretty short."

"Old equipment. Poor battery. It happens." Ray finished his pizza and looked at his watch and noted the time. "Where are we heading anyway?"

"You know that old hotel near the pier?"

"Yeah, the... The 'Hyetal'. It shut down in the 70s after poor business forced it's doors shut."

"That's the place. Guess Syndey's dad was the original owner."

"Poor girl. That's a massive undertaking to get a place like that cleaned up and running. It's no wonder she seems to be experiencing paranormal activity."

"Yeah, she said that she kept hear voices from the walls, pounding on the floors and ceilings and the odd sensation of someone always being next to her."

"But she hadn't seen any ghosts roaming the halls?"

"None."

"Guess if the police and fire department can't find anything amiss then maybe she there is something in the hotel. Question is, what are we dealing with?"

"I think the better question is: friend or foe?"

"Good point." Ray grabbed a pen and a pad of paper and, after tearing the address from the top page, began writing down a few details before leaving the pad of paper propped upright on the desk. "Egon will back tomorrow morning, Winston will either do the same or show up later tonight depending on traffic."

"You're such a boy scout." Peter teased as he walked over to Ecto-1 and checked the ignition for the keys. "Leaving notes for mommy to find..."

"Yeah, yeah." Ray dismissed Peter's comment and hustled into the basement. Taking the meter's battery from the charging, it was only at 40% power, and picking up a PKE meter he rejoined Peter at the car and slipped inside at the front passenger seat. "Let's head out before we make our client wait too long."

"Sounds like a plan." Peter turned the key in the ignition and the engine roared to life. "A gentlemen never asks a woman to wait."

"Since when are you an expert on women?"

"I'd had more dates than you, pal." Peter snipped as he pulled Ecto-1 out of the garage onto the street.

"You may have more dates but I've had more relationships." Ray sharply retorted as looked at the address and pointed to the correct street to turn down.

"Yes we're both still single..."

"Maybe we're cursed."

"Maybe. Then again we could just be plain unlucky."

It didn't take long for Peter to find the hotel along the pier. The autumn chill had driven many tourists and even most New Yorkers away from the pier and the water, which worked in favor of the two Ghostbusters as the more discreet their response the better it'd be for their client. The dilapidated structure stood out boldly against the surrounding buildings that hadn't been abandoned or neglected over several years. As such it was easy for the iconic hearse to pull up front and park in front of the hotel itself.

The hotel, complete uneven window panes filled with broken glass, stood pathetically in front of the vast, powerful shoreline. The siding was faded and marred with broken boards. The hotel sign was dark from the lack of power and the many light bulbs that outlined the sign were yellowed and cracked. Massive holes and broken beams jutted out awkwardly from the roof. It was all be deserted by all outward appearances.

"Charming." Ray remarked as he looked up and stared at the eight story hotel and its many broken windows and gaping door. "I'm surprised Sydney even wants to repair this place. It might be easier to tear it down and rebuild on the property."

"Easier, but not as fun." Peter opened his door and stepped outside the vehicle. A board fell loose from a single nail and smacked down hard on the ground just in front of the hotel. "Then again I have my own definition of 'fun'. Now, where's our lovely lady in distress?"

As Ray exited the hearse and stood beside Peter a melodic voice sang out in greeting from the wide opened entrance of the hotel. "Hello. Are you here to help me?"

Peter's gaze immediately turned and fixated on the blonde woman standing in the wide open door of the decrepit hotel. She was every bit as lovely in person as she appeared on TV, and seemed twice as worried. As she stepped through the door to greet her guests her hand was taken with a gentle but firm grasp and held tightly between Peter's own two hands.

"Hello. You must be Sydney." Peter greeted warmly and somewhat flirtatiously as he acquainted the troubled young lady. He couldn't help but noticed how soft yet cold her hands felt between his own. "I'm Dr. Peter Venkman, and this is my colleague, Dr. Ray Stantz."

"Thank you so much for coming. Peter. Ray." She acknowledged both men meekly. While Peter stood at her side by the entrance Ray responded professionally by powering up the meter and testing it briefly. "If you would please come inside we can-"

"Oh yeah, don't worry about it." Peter smugly reassured her as he released one hand from hers and draped his arm around her shoulders. He felt a chill go up his spine when his arm came in contact with her old shoulders. "We'll get right to it. Right Dr. Stantz?"

"Right Dr. Venkman." Ray used the meter to guide him as he joined his colleague and their mutual client in the entryway of the hotel. "If you'd please show us around we can get started."

"Yes. Please, this way." She stepped inside the hotel and much to her chagrin couldn't pull her hand free from Peter's hand as she walked. The interior lobby was as dark, decayed and foreboding as the exterior of the building itself. "This seems to be the only place where the odd sensations don't occur. But as you move deeper inside you can feel... something. Especially in the basement!"

Ray nodded as he tuned the meter and used it to emit a small sonar pulse to map the interior of the hotel. "Basements are often a focal point of paranormal and supernatural activity. The high levels of magnetism that can be found near the Earth's core seem to-"

"Blah, blah, science." Peter interrupted rudely as he strolled casually through the lobby and toward the single staircase leading to the next floor. As he finally let Sydney's hand go he stared up the dark stairwell and peered into the shadows above. "Old buildings will always give off an unsettling vibe, especially when they're constantly dark."

"I tried to get the power restored but nothing seems to work." Sydney stood next to Ray as her now freed hand wrapped tightly around her forearm as it hung at his side. "No one can seem to find the problem and get the electricity going."

"That's strange." Ray admitted as he looked to Sydney. It was only then could he see how truly worried she was and now felt like Peter had made the correct call in answering her ad after all. "Well, when I go down in the basement I can take a look at the circuit breaker for you."

"Would you?" Sydney sounded almost pleading. "Thank you so much! You're pretty righteous!"

"Righteous?" Ray repeated with a light laugh. "Haven't heard that in a while."

"Well, why don't we check out the upstairs before we head down?" Peter sounded somewhat defensive, if not jealous of the attention Ray had received. "I think it'd be better look through the multiple rooms up here with the meter before the battery drains."

"Yeah... Good idea." Ray didn't quite agree with Peter's logic but didn't want to argue either. "Head up, I'm right behind you."

"We'll take a quick look around." Peter told Sydney as he walked backward up the staircase and disappeared into the shadows. "Won't be long!"

Ray watched the meter attentively, waiting for any unusual activity to be registered or for a presence to make itself known. The meter was as still and quiet as the world outside the hotel.

"I'm not getting anything."

"Keep looking." Peter urged as he rhythmically turned the knob on each unlocked door and pushed it wide open to take a very quick look around without actually stepping inside. "We need to find something to tell Sydney about."

"They say no news is good news." Ray followed Peter without looking up from the meter in his hands.

"And I say a first impression is the best impression."

"When have you ever said that?"

"Just now. Weren't you listening?" Peter pushed open yet another door and gave the interior a brief glance before moving onto the next door.

"Uh-huh..." Ray just ignored the comment as he continued to focus on the meter. He waved it over the opened door hoping to catch a glimpse of something on the display when a loud 'thud' from the room two doors behind him made him pause. "Hey wait, did you hear that?"

"What?" Peter asked as he pushed open another door nearing the end of the hallway.

"Back here." Ray turned around and peered through the opened door where the offending sound originated. As he looked inside he could see a large painting was resting against the floor at the far wall of the room, above it a loose nail fell free and collided with the painting's frame. "Something fell."

Peter waited outside the doorway as Ray walked inside and held his meter of the fallen painting. "Was it the _painting_?" He asked sarcastically. "Just a guess."

Ray put his hand on the wall and ran him palm along the moldy, unstable surface. The wall was warped and potted with large holes in the plaster. "Painting fell after the nail came loose."

"My god, how did you ever figure that one out?" Peter's sarcasm was palpable as he crossed his arms over his chest and leaned heavily against the door frame. "Now that we solved the mystery of the loose nail can we continue our search? Sydney's waiting!"

"Just a moment." Ray held the meter up to the wall right where the nail had once been. A small waver of energy flickered across the screen for only a few seconds before the battery died and the display went black. "There's something here."

"Yeah. It's called a _hole_."

"Not that!" Ray pressed his palm down firmly against the wall and could feel a slight pressure building behind the wall. A low hissing sound filled the wall and traveled through the imperfect barrier as the pressure mounted. "There's something behind the wall."

"Mold." Peter was completely uninterested in the room and becoming increasingly impatient. "Where's Egon when you need him?"

"I'm serious Peter." Ray stated tersely as he turned around slightly to look at Peter, leaving his hand still pressed on the wall. "There is something here and it could be the cause of-"

A massive crack in the wall suddenly snaked from floor to ceiling as it originated from beneath Ray's palm. A deafening explosion followed shortly after as a ball of fire erupted from within the wall and soared through the center of the room and dissipated into a fading ball of orange flames and heat. The power of the explosion sent Ray flying forward and crashing down onto the floor, while Peter was knocked back through the door frame of the room and onto his side.

"Ray?!" Peter scrambled back to his feet and rushed into the room. Looking at the destroyed wall Peter could see a single pipe that had been ruptured with a single flame roaring from the cracked metal. Laying on the floor not moving was Ray, a small fire burning away at his shirt at his left shoulder and ebbing its way up his left arm. "RAY!"

Rushing over to Ray's side Pete slid on his knees as he took off his second shirt and used it to smother out the flames on Ray's back. With the flames extinguished a wisp of black smoke rose from Ray's shoulder and arm as he laid motionless on the floor.

Pulling away the damaged fabric from Ray's shoulder and arm Peter held his breath as he anticipated seeing an ugly, painful wound beneath. Fortunately the red flannel shirt had sustained most of the damage from the explosion. A few small holes had been eaten into the fabric of Ray's shirt and his skin all around the holes was very red and sightly blistered.

"Don't worry Ray." Peter took Ray's good arm and wrapped it around his shoulders. Steadily Peter rose up from his kneeling position to stand with Ray's limp body standing poorly up against him. Supporting Ray's weight Peter made his way toward the doorway. "I'll get you out of here and patched up."

Though it was a clumsy and slow walk Peter managed to half carry, half drag Ray out of the dangerous room, down the corridor and down the staircase to reach the lobby on the ground floor. Sydney, who had been waiting for their return in the lobby saw that Ray had been injured and she covered her shocked gasp beneath her gentle hands as the duo passed by in front of her.

"Oh no... I'm so sorry!" Sydney blurted her sincere apology as she watched Peter carrying Ray through the room. "I heard the explosion! He's hurt because of me! I should've known it was too dangerous to let anyone look around..."

"No, it's not your fault." Peter huffed as he spoke without breaking stride. As he passed through the main door he adjusted his posture to allow Ray to lean against him as he pulled open the rear passenger door of Ecto-1. "Just call the fire department and have them check the room. I'll take care of Dr. Stantz. Don't your worry."

"I... I'm sorry." Sydney stammered with burning shame in her bright green eyes. "I'm so, so sorry!"

"Don't be!" Peter shouted back as he laid Ray down over the backseat onto his right side. "Tell the fire department to turn off the gas and STAY OUTSIDE until they clear the building! I'll come back to help you, I promise!"

Slamming the rear door shut he pulled open the driver's side door, hastily turned the key in the ignition and drove off from the hotel and back toward the sanctuary of the firehouse. Despite the potential seriousness of Ray's injury Peter didn't want to take him to the hospital to avoid any legal problems dealing with the dangers of the hotel or get Sydney in any trouble. For the time being Peter decided that he'd be the one to take care of Ray.

"Hold on Ray." Peter adjusted the rear view mirror so he could see Ray laying helpless in the backseat. The engineer's face was a little pale and beads of sweat were forming on his brow. "We'll be back home in a few minutes!"

The only response Peter received in return was a pitiful groan of pain from Ray.

"Yeah... you took the words right out of my mouth, pal."

The drive back to the firehouse was quick but smooth for Ray's sake. Not wanting to jar Ray around too much or aggravate his burned shoulder Peter made sure to keep calm while driving and show absolute control over the car at all times. Slowing down only to back the hearse into the garage of the firehouse Peter's eyes glanced down at Ray's face as he centered the vehicle in the garage and parked.

"We're back." Peter sighed as he mentally prepared himself to deal with the full extent of Ray's injury.

Exiting the iconic hearse Peter nearly tore the rear door from its hinges as he put his hand down on Ray's good shoulder to check to see if he had regained consciousness at all. Fortunately he was still out cold.

"Okay, let's do this." Peter grabbed onto Ray's right arm and gently pulled him up into a sitting position. As he prepared to pull Ray out of the hearse a voice spoke up right behind him.

"Peter? What's going on?"

"Zed!" Peter turned and gave his friend an immense look of relief. "Great timing, help me with Ray. He's been hurt."

"Hurt?" Looking into the backseat Winston saw that Ray was unconscious and could smell the faint smell of smoke lingering onto his shirt. "How'd this happen? I thought you guys were just performing a basic examination of a hotel, not a bust!"

"I'll tell ya' later." Peter insisted as he and Winston worked together to carry Ray out of the hearse. Peter put his hands under Ray's arms while Winston picked up Ray's legs and the two lifted him up and hefted him up the stairs to the bunk room. "Know anything about burns?"

"I just know they're painful, prone to infection and need constant care."

"Perfect. Can you handle all of that?"

"I'll do my best. It's been a long time since I had emergency medical training but it should be just like riding a bike."

"What kind of bike did _you_ have as a kid?" Peter joked as he and Winston managed to lay Ray down onto his bed, once keeping Ray on his right side to avoid putting pressure on his burned shoulder or accidentally brushing the wound up against a dirty surface. "Okay, he's still out of it. We should take care of the burn before he comes to."

"No argument here." Winston waited for Peter to return with the first aid kit stored in the rec room before even attempting to examine the burns.

"I just hope that our client is going to be okay." Peter lamented as he carried the large plastic kit into the bunk room and set it down at the foot of Ray's bed. "That hotel just doesn't seem like it's worth saving at this point."

Winston opened the kit to retrieve a pair of latex gloves and slipped them on over his hands. "Hopefully in the end your client will make the right decision for everyone's sake." Peeling back the burned fabric of Ray's shirt he checked the reddened flesh beneath. "Mostly first degree burns, some second degree near the center of the wound. Those will be the most painful and prone to infection."

"Does he need to see a doctor or can we keep this one off the books?"

"Not my call." Winston admitted as he tore open the damaged fabric of the shirt and fully exposed the burn. "But if Ray does want to go to the hospital I'm not going to stop him."

"Same." Peter agreed with a single nod.

"I need to isolate the dead tissue and remove it." Winston pointed to the first aid kit with one hand and kept his other hand just under the burn on Ray's shoulder. "Hand me the little black box."

Peter nervously rummaged through the kit and handed Winston the requested box. His face was almost as pale as Ray's and he had a twinge of nauseated green in his cheeks.

"Why don't you go call your client and check in?" Winston could see that Peter was uncomfortable and on the verge of being sick. Whether that sickness was from a weak stomach or a guilty conscience he couldn't tell for sure. "I'll handle this."

"Yeah. Good idea. I hope she's safe..." Peter turned quickly on his heels but paused before leaving the room. "Hey, if you need any help with Ray call me back in."

"Yeah, you got it."

Ray groaned once again in pain but didn't regain full consciousness.

"Easy. You'll be okay." Winston soothed as he proceeded to clean the burn before applying a salve to keep the burn clean and prevent infection. "You're going to be really sore for the next few days but that's better than dying from infection."

* * *

Peter hustled across the rec room and over to the phone where Sydney's phone number still sat on the piece of paper. Pulling the phone from the receiver he dialed the number and anxiously waited for an answer from the other end of the line.

"Come on, come on... Please answer."

The sound of unanswered rings began to gnaw away at Peter's thinning patience as his concern was torn between his injured friend in the other room and his helpless client several blocks away.

Just as Peter was about to slam the phone down a soft voice finally replied.

"Sydney! There you are!" Peter sank down in the chair beside the desk and sighed heavily. "Are you okay?"

The young woman went into detail about calling the fire department and having the gas lines checked in the hotel. Apparently there was no discernible cause for the line to have ruptured and even stranger it seemed as though gas for the hotel had been shut off many years prior. A suspected build up of lingering gas was the current theory but there was little to no evidence to support this claim.

"Okay, well, sit tight. I'll be back and- Ray? He's holding on." Peter was touched by Sydney's concern for Ray's well being. "He's being taken care of right now. He'll be okay in a few days. Until then you and... your boyfriend... you two should-"

Peter sat in silence as Sydney tearfully broke down and confessed how truly awful she felt and how she and her boyfriend weren't exactly a happy couple. She felt trapped in the hotel and couldn't leave because her boyfriend wouldn't let her go. How she hadn't been happy for years and how she just wanted to be free again.

"Sydney, listen to me, I'm a psychologist and I can already tell you that your boyfriend is a narcissist with jealous tendencies. Ditch him and- Oh. I see." Peter's heart went out to the scared young woman. "Look, just sit tight and I'll go back out and stay with you. How about that?"

From the other end of the line Peter could feel how frightened Sydney was of her boyfriend and he wanted to protect her.

"I'll be back out in an hour, I already promised I'd return and I keep my promises. You'll be okay, it may not seem like it right now but you will be okay. I promise."

Hanging up the phone Peter sat in deep thought for a few moments before looking over to the bunk room door. He could see Winston in the distance wrapped white gauze around Ray's shoulder and up his arm to protect the burns. Ray wasn't moving or reacting to the process which was something Peter was grateful for. If Ray wasn't reacting then it meant he wasn't in any pain.

"Winston." Peter softly called out his friend's name as he finally walked back into the bunk room. "How's he doing?"

Ray was still on his right side, his back to the door. Winston had torn off and removed Ray's shirt before wrapped his entire shoulder in white gauze, the gauze also stretching up his arm to his elbow.

"Still out." Winston lifted one of Ray's eyelids and checked his pupils. "I don't see any sign of head trauma, but he's most likely suffering from some degree of dehydration."

"Anything I can do?"

Winston shook his head solemnly. "All we can do is watch him and wait."

"I have to go back to the hotel. I think Sydney might be in trouble."

"Sydney? The client?" He turned to look at Peter as he slipped off the gloves from his hands. "Why do you say that?"

"Call it a hunch, but I think there's more to this call than just a supernatural presence."

Breaking the first rule of ghost busting, which is never bust alone, Peter returned to the Hyetal Hotel with the intent of finishing the call and aiding their client. There was something haunting in Sydney's voice as she asked, if not pleaded, for help. Whether it was the cliche damsel in distress scenario that had Peter hooked, or the fact that he had promised a frightened young woman that he'd help her, the psychologist was determined to uncover the mystery of the hotel and give Sydney the answers she so desperately deserved.

It seemed like a betrayal to leave Ray behind but Winston was an incredibly skilled person with emergency medical training. Ray was in good hands, yet it was still a painful decision for Peter to make.

* * *

Winston pressed the back of his hand to Ray's neck. The engineer's skin felt very warm and there was a fine layer of sweat that had drenched his entire body.

"Man, you better not dehydrate on me." Winston scolded as he retreated to the kitchen to get a glass of water for Ray to drink. Without a doubt Egon had stocked up on numerous emergency medical supplies that would include saline and other fluids that could be administered intravenously, but Winston didn't want to have to stick Ray with a needle unless it was absolutely necessary. With the water in hand he placed his free hand on Ray's arm and shook lightly. "Wake up for me, just for a few minutes."

Ray's tired eyes opened slightly at the sound of Winston's voice. Unfocused and cloudy his eyes scanned the familiar room as his thoughts collected and he was able to recall the day's events only so far. "...Winston?" His words slurred as he tried to sit up but a searing pain shot through his shoulders, down his arm and tightened slightly around his chest. "What happened?"

"Try not to move." Winston knelt beside the bed and guided Ray's unaffected hand to the glass. "Do you remember what happened today at all?"

"There was... a call." Ray answered and blinked very slowly. "No. Not a call. An... an ad."

"Do you know why you answered the ad?"

"Peter." Ray's words were becoming clearer as he become fully conscious. "He wanted to help the girl. Sydney. We went to the hotel to help her."

"What happened out there? Peter never had the chance to tell me the full story."

"I... I was checking a room for activity." Ray flinched and gritted his teeth as he pushed himself upright on his bed using his good arm, careful not to spill the water in the glass. "There was something going on. Something in the wall. Then a loud noise. That's all I remember." Ray looked down at himself and saw that he was no longer wearing a shirt and that he had some thick gauze wrapped up his arm starting at the elbow, all the way around his shoulder and partially down his chest. "Uh... Was that loud noise a bomb?"

"Guessing by the burns on your shoulder and from what you said about the wall, I'm going to go ahead and say there was a gas line explosion. Looks like it knocked you for a loop."

"Yeah... I guess." Ray winced as he ever so slightly tried to lift his left arm but failed. The muscles were too weak, too dehydrated to respond properly. Finally taking a drink of the water Ray sat and stared at the floor. "Was Peter or Sydney hurt?"

"No. Peter was shaken a little but not injured."

"The man has nine lives." Ray set aside the now empty glass. "And Sydney?"

"He didn't say anything about her being hurt, but he was pretty determined to get back out there and check on her." Winston rose from his kneeling position and sat on the bed at Ray's right side. "What's going on out there?"

"I'm not sure. But Sydney is petrified and from what little I saw there is definitely something happening out there. We should-" Ray made an attempt to stand but it didn't take long for his legs to buckle and for him to fall back down onto the bed. "Then again, Peter should be able to handle things on his own for a while, right?"

"Right."

"But then again, you should go out and make sure-"

"No way, I'm not leaving you here alone. You're hurt, a little delirious and may need to be admitted to a hospital. Right now you're the priority. If Peter needs help he'll call us."

"I hope you're right." Ray's head began to bow with fatigue and Winston moved away from the bed to help him lay back down.

"So do I." Winston admitted as he took a step back from the bed. Ray was asleep again almost as soon as his head hit the pillow. "I don't want to have to take care of two of you."

* * *

Peter returned to the hotel with an unsteadiness in his otherwise confident posture. As he strode into the hotel he found Sydney sitting on the floor with her back pressed up against the front desk. She was visibly shaking and she looked as though she had been crying.

"Sydney? What happened?"

"Dr. Venkman!" She jumped to her feet and wrapped her arms around him in a tight hug. A hug that was icy and stole Peter's breath but he chose to reciprocate anyway. "I'm so glad you came back!"

"I'm a man of my word." Peter admitted as he fought the urge to shiver. When Sydney finally let him go he shook off his chilled arms and looked around the main lobby. "Is he here?"

Sydney shook her head. "I... I'm not sure. I haven't seen him since... It's just..."

"It's okay." Peter put a warm hand to her cold shoulder. "Look, why don't I finish checking out the rooms, you know; pick up where Ray and I left off, and if your boyfriend shows up I'll make sure he knows to never touch you again. Okay?"

"Promise you won't leave me alone?"

"I promise."

Sydney nodded once and forced herself to smile as she wiped away her lingering tears from her eyes. "Okay then. Let's do this."

"Okay." Peter motioned dramatically with his arm toward the staircase as he and Sydney walked up the stairs side by side. "Now, I think we should finish checking out the room where the explosion took place, mainly so I can get the dropped meter but also I want to make sure nothing is on fire."

Sydney laughed a little at the comment as Peter cautiously made his way toward the room. He pressed his back up against the wall and turned his head so he could peer into the room like a frightened child trying to sneak a peek at Santa Claus. The room wasn't on fire, but it smelled of smoke and burnt plaster. The meter was resting on the ground near the center of the room with bits of plaster littered all around.

"There's the meter." Peter eyed it then drew his glance to the far wall where the gaping hole caused by the explosion stared back. "And I'm going to carefully," Peter took one step into the room and dropped down to his hands and knees before crawling over to the meter. "pick this up," he tucked it into his pocket by the handle and backed out of the room. "and leave before anything bad happens."

Slipping through the wide open door Peter enthusiastically jumped up to his feet and held the meter out for Sydney to see with a proud boast. "Success."

"Now what do we do?" Sydney laughed at Peter's energy and sense of accomplishment. "Can that find ghosts?"

"Uh, no." Peter hid the meter behind his back somewhat embarrassed. "This is used to identify anything that can be misconstrued as paranormal and supernatural energy. We were using it to map the building but the battery died and I can't charge it from here."

"Oh."

"But don't worry! I can get a different meter from the car and slip the memory card from this meter into that one and see what Ray found before he blew up."

Peter rushed down the staircase from whence he and Sydney came and made his way outside to the parked hearse outside. Sydney followed slowly behind and sat on the bottom step of the staircase and watched from a distance as her possible savior toiled away with the odd equipment in his trained hands as he hunkered down in the rear compartment of Ecto-1.

One way or another questions hidden away inside the Hyetal Hotel were going to be answered.

It didn't take long for Peter to replace the memory card from the older, now dead meter, into one of the three PKE meter stored in the rear compartment of Ecto-1. Powering up the small meter it took only a flip of a switch to reveal the recorded data on the card and have a small but effective internal map of the Hyetal on the digital display. The interior of the hotel from the ground floor up the next floor had been successfully documented, but the remaining floors as well as the basement had yet to be properly explored.

"Okay, so it looks like the damaged room is... here!" Peter pointed to a small room on the screen. "And the rest of the hotel..." He looked up at the tall building and sighed. "still needs to be scanned. Great."

Returning to the hotel Peter was greeted by a firm cold wind that burst through the hotel lobby and made him stagger on his feet. Pausing mid stride, trembling from the sudden chill, he looked toward Sydney who had witnessed the gust of wind and was sitting on the bottom step of the staircase shaking in fear.

Peter braved through the dying wind and joined Sydney at the bottom step. Sitting down beside her he showed her the meter in his hands and spoke in a calm, soothing voice. "It won't be long now. Together we'll uncover the mystery of the hotel AND we're going to make sure you get away from your boyfriend."

"Thank you Peter."

* * *

Winston had taken it upon himself to do a little research into the Hyetal Hotel while Ray slept lightly in the bunk room. Fortunately for the dedicated Ghostbuster his research wasn't too difficult to locate since Ray had left the name of the hotel in his note downstairs, and there was only one hotel in all of New York history called the 'Hyetal'.

"Aw man." Winston shook his head as he glanced through the recorded data on the computer monitor. The history revolving around the hotel was far darker and more tragic than either Peter or Ray had been told. "That poor girl. No wonder she's asking for our help."

A muffled groan of pain from the bunk room stole Winston's attention from the monitor and back to the bunk room. Ray was still asleep but the pain of the burn was beginning to set in.

"Uh-oh." Leaving the computer behind Winston chose to prioritize his friend over the hotel. "This isn't going to be a fun night. Not for anyone."

* * *

Walking side by side throughout the remaining floors, corridors and rooms of the hotel, Peter and Sydney tentatively scanned each area and kept vigil for any sign of unusual activity within the confines of the old, crumbling building. Finishing up their scan of the top floor had provided virtually no information or even the most basic of clues as the source or cause for the paranormal disturbances.

"You know, it's pretty late. We've been looking around all night." Sydney pointed out as she and Peter crossed through the hallway. "We can finish this tomorrow if you want."

"No way, I'm too restless to sleep." Peter dismissed the offer, not wanting to leave her alone until he knew for sure what was going on in the hotel. "There has to be something that's luring ghosts and goblins, and I don't think it's the room service." Peter remarked casually as he waved the PKE meter about at arm's length. "So what can you tell me about this place?"

"Aside from it being a hotel?" Sydney smiled softly in an attempt to keep a positive attitude.

"Well, I don't think the building being a hotel is too obvious," Peter readily joked in response. "but one can never be too sure. When was this place built? Who built it? When did your father come into possession of it? Why do you want to save it? Blah, blah, blah. Pick a question, any question!"

"Um, well..." Before Sydney had the chance to answer another powerful gust of wind erupted through the hotel and made the duo stop in their tracks.

Peter had put an arm over his face as the icy wind tried to steal his breath and kept him from speaking. Sydney wrapped both her hands around Peter's other arm and held tight as if she were afraid she'd get blown away.

"It's coming... from the... basement!" Peter managed to blurt out and choke as the wind continued to bombard him. "We need to... take a look!"

"This way!" Sydney started pulling on Peter's arm and directing him toward a small, somewhat concealed service elevator near the middle of the hallway and positioned between two rotten, dirty tables with cracked vases sitting on top. "It's an old elevator that the staff used to use to get around!"

"Is it... safe?" Peter coughed as Sydney pulled open the creaky, rusted exterior brass gate and pried the twin doors open with her hands. As Sydney pulled himself the elevator car he leaned against the wall and struggled to catch his breath. "How can we... use this? No power."

"Manual controls." Sydney stated as she pressed down a lever and the elevator car jerked to life as it steadily descended from the top floor back to the ground floor. "No electricity needed. Pretty groovy, huh?"

"Yeah." Peter coughed and sucked in a deep breath. "Groovy." The car shuddered and stopped briefly as the ancient, neglected gears caught intermittently before continuing its downward journey. "As long as we don't get stuck along the way."

"Don't worry." Sydney kept her hand on the lever as the car crawled in its descent. "It always reaches its destination. Kind of jealous of it, really."

"How poetic." Peter grinned as the young woman's doubt had been replaced with certainty and confidence.

* * *

Ray breathed heavily and deeply with pained gasps as he remained on his right side, curled up around himself in mounting agony. The burns, while not infected and completely bandaged, were causing the engineer terrific discomfort as the shock of the initial injury had finally worn off. It seemed like every nerve ending in his entire shoulder had been exposed to direct flame and were now begging for any form of pain relief.

Winston kept watch over Ray from the bed next to the engineer. The only pain medication in the firehouse was a bottle of Ibuprofen, but too much would cause more harm than good to his already taxed body. Pressing a bag of ice wrapped up in a towel to the burned area Winston sympathized with Ray's pain.

"Make it stop..." Ray muttered as he turned his head and buried his sweaty face into his pillow.

"Sorry man, you can't have any more medication for another few hours."

"Who says?"

"Medical professionals."

"What do they know?" Ray grimaced as he let out an annoyed sigh.

"A little but more than us?"

"What... What time is it?"

Winston looked down at his watch and noted the time. "Wow. It's almost five in the morning."

"Feels like it's been longer than that..." The pain in his voice was palpable as he endured the full extent of the burn. Turning slightly from his side and toward his back he stared up at Winston's face like a sad little puppy. "Is there anything that can knock me out for a few hours? Or days."

"I'll take a look around, maybe Venkman has a little cache of the good stuff in his footlocker." Taking a knee beside the unlocked storage case at the foot of Peter's bed he began to check through the footlocker but failed to find any medication. "Nothing here. I'll look in the lab."

"Does Venkman at least have a bullet I can bite on?"

There was a quiet 'thud' from the ground floor as the front door to the firehouse opened and then shut a few seconds later. Footsteps walked rhythmically up the staircase, crossed the bare wooden floor of the rec room and stepped into the bunk room. "Winston? Ray? What is happening? Why are you two awake and where is Venkman?"

"Egon." Winston rose from his kneeling position and gave the physicist a look of relief and gratitude. "Glad you're back. You have perfect timing as always. We need some help."

Egon arched a brow before he looked at Ray laying in his bed; his face pale and sweaty and the numerous bandages wrapped around his shoulder stretching up his arm. "It appears I missed out on some fun." Walking over to the bed he bent down and wrapped his fingers around Ray's wrist. "Maybe it'd be best if you filled me in on what has been happening during my absence."

* * *

 

The elevator reached the ground floor of the hotel with a shuddering 'creak' of the gears. The entire elevator car shifted and groaned as the aged metal strained the worn cables and threatened to snap free at any moment. Prying the brass gates open Sydney exited the elevator first and set grateful foot on the calm floor and took a moment to steady herself. Peter followed shortly after and coughed a few times as the icy air he had been forced the breathe in on the top floor was still stinging him and left his throat dry.

"Where did that gust of wind come from?" Sydney asked as she began pacing about anxiously by the front desk. "I know a bunch of the windows are broken but that doesn't explain how the wind could be so strong and so cold."

"You're right-" Peter paused briefly as he stifled a cough into the bend of his arm. "You're right Sydney. There's something more than a drafty hallway at work here."

"But where?"

"I'd wager the basement."

"The... basement?"

"Yeah. It's the only place we haven't check out and as Ray had mentioned before the basement is a favorite haunt, pun intended, for ghosts to lurk."

Sydney turned her attention to the closed door behind the front desk with a palpable dread radiating from her green eyes. As she looked away she shook her head and wrapped her arms around herself in a tight hug.

"Problem?" Peter asked as he gauged her reaction with a educated gaze.

"It's just..." Sydney sighed deeply and let her shoulders shrug as she told Peter the truth. "I've always been afraid of the basement. There's just something... horrible about it."

"Common reaction." He replied casually as he leapt with a surprising grace over the small wooden gate that provided a small enclosure between the desk and the rest of the lobby. Checking the doorknob on the door he stood up straight and looked at Sydney over his shoulder. "Locked."

"I don't have the key."

"No matter." Peter turned slightly an pressed his shoulder up against the door, above the knob, and took a step back. "We'll deduct damages to the door from your bill."

"What damages?"

With a firm, direct thrust Peter put all of his strength into his shoulder and forced the locked door with a hearty 'bang'! The door was forced open, breaking free of the warped door frame and breaking the metal lock in the process. As the door swung open into the concealed stairwell a gust of icy wind escaped from the basement that stunk of long stagnant, dusty, moldy air. But there was another scent lingering the air, something akin to decay...

Rubbing his shoulder Peter looked down the dark stairwell and hid the shiver that rang through his body. Looking to Sydney he flashed a cheesy, yet reassuring grin. "Have a flashlight?"

* * *

Egon had taken it upon himself to check Ray's burns for infection as well as severity while Winston told him about everything that had happened while he was out of town. Satisfied that Ray's injury had been treated properly and showed appropriate signs of healing Egon replaced the bandages and helped Ray to lay back down on the bed.

"It seems as though you and I missed out on a very exciting call, Winston." Egon remained seated on the edge of Ray's bed, his hand resting sympathetically on Ray's uninjured arm. "Perhaps we should attempt to make contact with Peter and check in on his progress."

"About that..." Winston gestured to the rec room with his thumb over his shoulder. "I had been looking into the history of the hotel before you came back and I found something a little... peculiar."

"Oh?" Egon's brow arched inquisitively. Looking down at Ray he made sure the engineer was comfortably asleep before leaving him alone in the bunk room. "I'd be happy to take a look."

Before stepping back Winston gave Ray a worried look but decided that he wasn't in any immediate danger. "It's on the computer. Tell me what you think, because what I currently think might be a little crazy."

* * *

Using a small but powerful flashlight provided by Sydney the lone Ghostbuster lead the way down the creaking, rotting staircase into the basement of the hotel. Each step downward released a deep groan of splintering wood that protested to the weight being applied by the weight of the two curious people who dared to traverse the foreboding basement of the haunted hotel.

"Creepy." Peter observed in a cloudy breath as he used his hand to brush away a large spiderweb that stretched across the stairwell.

Sydney followed a few paces behind Peter without saying a word. She was visibly frightened and seemed a little impatient with the search.

Setting foot on the concrete floor of the basement Peter scanned the finite area with the beam of the flashlight. Dust particles danced about in the yellow ray of light as the psychologist cautiously examined the area for any sign of ghostly activity or paranormal disturbances.

"Looks normal. I guess." The light shone on several large cardboard boxes covered in dust and labeled in uninteresting titles. "I'm not sure what would count as normal in this room, but-"

A harsh gust of icy wind blew fiercely at Peter as he again lifted his arm in an attempt to protect his face from the painful chill. Squinting with burning eyes he honed in on a shadowy figure hiding in the rear corner of the basement.

"Hey!" Peter pointed the flashlight at the shadow only to have the beam illuminate the figure and reveal its solid pitch black form. "Stop doing that!"

Sydney ducked down behind Peter and fearfully looked at the figure by peeking over Peter's shoulder.

The form seemed to understand Peter's demand and stopped gusting the window at the two explorers. In response to the intrusion the form let loose a deep, guttural growl and stepped backward, vanishing through a stack of boxes and into the brick wall behind.

"What was THAT about?" Peter lowered his arm warily. Shining the light on the boxes he took a single step forward while Sydney stayed firmly in place. "I get the feeling that all of our questions are going to be answered."

Sydney was quiet. A sense of sorrow seemed to wash over her as Peter approached the boxes with the flashlight clenched between his teeth. One by one Peter moved aside the large boxes until the brick wall behind was fully exposed. The wall itself was worn and aged with dust, an old newspaper was stuck to the surface and crumbling away at the mercy of time itself.

"Hello..." Peter shined the light over the wall and noticed an odd pattern within the mortar of the bricks. Stooping down he examined the floor and saw several large gouges carved into the floor as if something very heavy had been dragged back and forth multiple times, wearing away the texture. "What is this?" Running his fingers along the imperfections that marred the floor Peter noticed a gap beneath the bottom of the wall and above the floor. "A secret room?"

Motionless and silent Sydney watched as Peter ran his hands along the brick wall and checked for any indication of an opening, perhaps even a door.

"Wait!" Peter called out somewhat incoherently as he still had the flashlight in his teeth. "I think I found something!"

Edging his fingers into the thinnest portion of the mortar Peter located a thin rope and looped it around his fingertips. Tugging on the rope he uncovered a makeshift handle that had been hidden away for decades. Pulling on the handle with a firm but controlled strength Peter managed to slowly and cautiously open the secret door. The newspaper fell free from the wall and came to a an unnoticed gentle rest near Peter's boots.

"This HAS to lead to some answers!" Peter grunted as he struggled with the brick door. Heavy, stagnant air escape through the door; the stench of decay was now stronger than ever before. "Now, what is behind door number one?"

The darkness of the concealed room was nearly impenetrable. The single beam of the flashlight poorly shone through the blackness, only the faintest of objects long forgotten inside the room could be highlighted in the yellow light.

"Hm..." Peter used the light to guide him over the dark floor. The beam scanned the room and located the back wall. A curiously strange shape was laying crumpled in the far corner of the room. "This is pretty weird. Why would anyone go to the trouble of... Of..."

Peter stood before the shape, the light trembling in hand. His face paled and his stomach turned at the sight.

"No... This isn't... This is IMPOSSIBLE."

* * *

 

Egon read the macabre information about the Hyetal Hotel on the computer monitor was a stern look. Winston stood behind Egon with his arms folded and his gaze distant, his eyes fixed on the floor with a sense of remorse. While the old newspaper had proven itself to be invaluable with providing answers to the mysterious call that Peter and Ray had taken, it had raised one very important and unusual question that needed to be addressed sooner rather than later.

"Very fascinating." Egon stated with a cold tone. "Winston, you and I need to join Peter at the hotel. I fear Peter may be in a dangerous situation."

"I know." Winston shuffled his feet anxiously and straightened his posture. "Peter needs us to back him up, but what about Ray? He's too weak to join us, and we can't leave him alone."

"You're correct." Egon adjusted his glasses as he pondered the unusual problem. "Perhaps one of us-"

The front door to the firehouse opened, closed and sooner after the rhythmic sounds of heel clicking over the hard floor sounded off throughout the garage. Janine had arrived for the day, and her timing was impeccable.

"Janine!" Egon called out to the red headed woman as she crossed the garage. "Can you please come up here for a moment?"

"Egon, is there something wrong?" She asked as she turned her attention away from her desk and to the staircase. The sound of heels clicking became muffled as she began walking up the thinly carpeted stairs. "Where's the car? I thought you guys went out on a bust already."

"Janine," Egon addressed the receptionist in a calm tone. "we need you to stay up here and we need you to keep an eye on Ray."

"On Ray?" Janine crossed her arms over her chest as she gave Egon and Winston a confused look. She craned her neck to instinctively peer into the bunk room and spotted the figure of Ray sleeping in his bed. "What's wrong with Ray?"

Winston replied softly and approached the fiery woman. "It's a weird story, but here's what went down..."

* * *

Peter stared with wide eyes and a sense of utter dread at the horrific discovery he had just unexpectedly uncovered. Slowly he crouched down and shined the beam of the flashlight on the crumpled figure resting up against the cold, dark corner of the hidden room. A sense of mournful familiarity hung heavily in the air as Peter turned his attention to Sydney who was standing as far back from the room as possible.

"Sydney... Is this what I... think it is?" With a shaking hand he gently pushed aside a swatch of tattered fabric and exposed the bony face beneath. The fabric, though faded with age and torn was still recognizable in color and design. The clothing and the shoes, the necklace and long wilted flower. Peter knew what, or more specifically, who he was looking at.

The young woman closed her eyes and nodded solemnly. "Yes. It is."

"So... This explains a lot." Peter bowed his head morosely as the flashlight shone brightly against the alabaster face of the figure. "It was you. All along."

"Yes..." Sydney confirmed as a lone tear fell from her eye. "I'm so sorry for deceiving you. But I'm desperate."

"Don't apologize..." Peter insisted as he remained steadfast in the room. "You did what you had to do."

"But I lied to you. I feel so bad, but I promise something good will happen because of your help!" Sydney held back a sob as she spoke. "But I shouldn't have done that. And I know you're hurt because of me!"

"No, no... It's just... I guess this guarantees that I won't be getting the girl this time either." Peter admitted, his attitude was almost as if he had been defeated. "I'll miss talking to you..."

From the floor behind Peter a black figure emerged and unleashed a deep growl while also blasting an icy cold gust of wind toward the lone Ghostbuster. Peter put his hands up over his head to protect himself, the flashlight falling free and rolling up against the skeletal remains he had uncovered. Turning around while standing upright to face the cowardly foe Peter found himself staring into the blank, yet angry face of the black figure.

"Please!" Sydney shouted fearfully to the black figure. "Don't hurt him!"

Before Peter had the chance to react a strong, cold hand had wrapped around his neck and was now holding him in place. As the very life was being strangled from Peter's body his hands clawed futilely at the strong arm that held him at bay.

"Please!" Sydney cried out again, her voice shaking with righteous and palpable terror. "Michael! Stop!"

"...M-Michael?!" Peter choked out as he struggled to wrest himself free of the figure's grip.

The black figure's hand loosened its grip, but only slightly, as it acknowledged Sydney calling out to it. "You. Are. Mine."

"No, I'm not!" Sydney retorted bitterly. "And he's innocent! Just... Just leave us alone!"

"No." The black figure, Michael, snarled. "You. Are. Mine."

Peter had finally put the pieces together and now understood the terrible chain of events that had taken place at the hotel all those years ago. He now knew who Sydney truly was and why she was so afraid of her boyfriend. He even understood why whenever he touched her she felt so cold.

"...Michael." Peter pushed back against the strong hand just enough to speak clearly. "You need to let her go." He stated firmly. "You've kept her trapped here long enough. You know how marriage vows have that little line about 'til death do you part'? Well, this is where you part! She's gone and it's because of you! She's never coming back, move on!"

"No." Michael snarled again. "I. Will. Not. Let. Her. Go."

"She was never YOURS to begin with!" Peter snapped angrily, his hands find a new strength to resist Michael. "She was her own person! She had her own thoughts, her own dreams and her own choices! Clearly she had plenty of time to think and realized her dreams didn't involve you or your sick, violent temper! When she made the choice to dump your sorry ass you reacted in a way that only validated her decision." Peter managed to pry Michael's fingers away from his throat and backed away from the black figure. "But you couldn't handle being rejected, so you locked her up in the basement of the hotel and kept her as a prisoner until she died! What coward does that to an innocent person?"

At those words a new level of anger rose inside Michael and with it an even stronger just of even colder wind. Peter was sent flying backward by the powerful blow, his body landing nearly on top of the skeleton on the floor of the basement. As Michael stepped toward Peter with his hand outstretched, ready to finish strangling the Ghostbuster, a proton stream suddenly snaked around his body and pulled him back.

"Guys!" Peter called out as he spotted Winston with the proton pack and Egon holding a trap in his hands. "Perfect timing!"

"We got him!" Winston boasted confidently as he wrangled the figure and pulled him away from Peter. As the figure was dragged back from the hidden room and into the center of the basement Egon put the trap on the floor and slid it forward under Michael as he angrily fought against the stream. "Trap open!"

Egon quickly pressed down on the release trigger with a firm stomp and shielded his eyes as the doors on the trap burst open with ray of flawlessly bright ionized light.

"NO!" Michael protested bitterly as the light enveloped him and pulled him down into the depths of the inescapable trap. Unable to free himself from either the proton stream or the trap the enraged ghost was sealed away and torn away from Sydney at long last.

"Got it!" Winston turned off his proton stream and powered down his pack. "Is there any more?"

Peter slowly got up from the ground, one hand rubbing at the small bruises around his throat and the other hand rubbing at the larger bruise that was forming on the small of his back. "No. You got it." Sydney, who had been standing alone in the basement was nowhere to be seen. Where she once stood was now only the daisy she had tucked in her hair.

Egon picked up the trap by the cable and walked into the second room where Peter was standing. "Are you injured?"

"No." Peter was more focused on Sydney than himself, or at least her remains. He looked down at the skeleton again and sighed. "Nice to see you back home Spengz, but I think we're going to need to contact the police on this one."

* * *

A small news crew had gathered outside the hotel shortly after the police had arrived and sealed off the building. The human remains in the basement, remains that Peter knew would identified as those of Sydney, were taken from the basement and sent off to be examined before being given the much needed proper burial.

Peter knew the police wouldn't believe the truth about the ad or encountering the ghosts, so instead he fabricated a much more believable story about exploring the hotel for research purposes and happening across the body by mistake.

Egon was eagerly going over the recorded data on the PKE meter while Winston drove Ecto-1 back the firehouse. Peter sat in the front seat quietly, his gaze fixed on the passing street through the window and his chin resting against his hand.

"It was most fortunate that you recorded your search through the hotel." Egon complimented from the backseat. "This data will prove itself quite beneficial in time."

"Yeah..." Peter was disappointed by the ending to the call, but knew that there was nothing he could do about it. "Glad some good came of this."

"Hey, come on." Winston tried to find a more positive outlook on the call. "You helped solve a couple decades old disappearance and murder. That's pretty impressive if I do say so myself."

"Yeah... But I was hoping to play hero and rescue a damsel in distress, not play detective."

"Either way it was a good call." Winston pointed out as he backed Ecto-1 into the garage of the firehouse. "You and Ray did something really good tonight. Don't forget it."

"Yeah, sure." Peter sighed as he discreetly pulled the daisy from the pocket of his shirt and held it in his hands gently. Climbing out of the car he leaned casually against the iconic hearse and lightly played with the petals between his fingertips. "A lot of good."

Egon could see that Peter need some time alone to think and gave his friend the privacy he needed. "I'm going to check on Ray and analyze the collected data."

"I'll help you out." Winston volunteered as he easily picked up on the hint Egon was discreetly providing.

While Egon and Winston left Peter alone in the garage the melancholy psychologist let out a deep sigh as he stared at the daisy and thought about how he had once again failed to win the girl.

A warm breeze swept through the garage and swirled around Peter where he stood. The breeze swept the daisy from his opened palm and carried it away. Following the wayward flower as it floated through the air, it came to rest on the floor by the garage door. Peter jumped slightly as his eyes drifted up from the flower and locked onto Sydney who was now standing inside the firehouse.

"Sydney? How'd you-"

"You freed me Peter." She smiled and walked toward him with a new sense of joy in her eyes. She stood before Peter with a gracious smile that warmed his heart. "You and Ray heard me calling for help and you came to my rescue. Once Michael was captured the hold his spirit held over mine was destroyed. And once my body was taken away from the hotel my ties to that horrible place were finally severed." She took her Peter's hands in her own. "And I promised you that everything you had done, all the kindness and patience you've shown me would come back to you in a most positive way." Leaning in she gave Peter a light kiss on his cheek. "Thank you Peter. Goodbye."

Peter had only blinked but in that time Sydney had vanished yet again, leaving only a faintly warm presence behind. He pressed his hand to his cheek and felt where her lips had been. Her kiss, unlike her hug at the hotel, was warm. Peter swore he could still feel her kiss even as he lowered his hand. "You're welcome..."

A soft feminine voice, not Sydney or Janine, called out to Peter as he stood motionless by the car. "Hello Peter."

The voice made Peter's heart race as he spotted Dana Barrett now standing in the doorway of the firehouse. She had noticed the daisy and picked it up, holding it in her graceful hands as she smiled and walked over to Peter. "Dana?"

"Yeah." She smelled the flower and gave him a sheepish look. "I've been thinking about 'us' lately, and I was hoping we could talk."

"Sure..." Peter beamed as he held out his hand happily for Dana to take. "I'd love to talk!"

_**-The End** _


End file.
